I read something by Farage a good while back saying they were targeting northern seats as they thought they could take votes off disafeccted labour voters, angry at the way they’ve been ignored since Blair arrived with his Islington-centric ways. Taking advantage of the way immigration has impacted on the white working class. Well that hasn’t happened in the remotest. Quite the opposite. Having a tory government doesn’t half give you a sense of perspective, and focus the mind

But what it does show is that those rare Tory voters in constituencies like this, who were always a weird anomaly, have switched allegiances. Which means that Dave now has a potentially nationwide problem, rather than just a southern one. I bet the Tories are really looking forward to the Euro elections now.

But the person who should be most worried is Nick Clegg. The Lib Dems in the northern constituencies genuinely did pick up votes from disillusioned labour supporters who felt abandoned by Nu Labour. My old constituency in South Manchester went from always being labour, to Lib Dem with a 17% swing. Well thats a mistake they’re unlikely to be repeating, to say the least

They best get used to looking at results like that, in the north, in every election for the forceable future. Now they’re not a viable protest vote for labour voters, they’re just crap Tories

Coming from a council estate in Newcastle, where the words ‘paki’ and ‘darkie’ are still in very common usage, I reckon that labour stands to lose quite a lot of votes to UKIP in these sort of areas. I’m surprised they didn’t get more votes in Wythenshawe, but with such a low turnout it’s difficult to extrapolate what will happen come a general election.

The thing is Cressers, Euro elections tend to be used for the same protests as by-elections, and produce similar electoral anomalies. Which means that Dave, as well as probably accepting a massive embaresment from UKIP in southern constituencies, may well be looking at a repeat performance in the north. And thats a problem for us all, because we could well wend up being represented in Europe by a bunch of right wing head cases!

and Nick Clegg will be staring down the barrel of electoral oblivion. Which surely can’t come as any surprise. The treacherous ****!!!!

dazh – I reckon UKIP will pick up votes, but not that many. In the north, when you’ve got a Tory government that is at best disinterested in you, but mainly actively hostile, most people will do whatevers necessary to just get rid of the bastards. Which, when it comes down to it, means holding your nose in a lot of cases, but voting labour.

I’m in the heart of Wythenshawe and Labour were out in force on the streets, UKIP put a lot of stuff through my door but seemed to be targeting Sale West more than the council estates that make up the majority of the constituency.

Have to say it is a miracle of marketing that a millionaire ex investment banker man who was so right wing he had to leave Thatchers tory party to set up his own is able to attract Labour voters who think he will be better for them and he is on there side.

Its amazing he has sold them this tbh- I dont know whether to admire him or hold my head in shame at the stupidity of my fellow citizens.

There taxation policies

Taxation needs to be drastically reduced but only alongside equally drastic cuts in public spending.

They dislike NuLabour being right wing so they vote for the most right wing party out there 😯

What it shows me is that you cannot trust the electorate and we need to police the candidates who stand and pre select them for the stupid masses

Perhaps some re-education would work

yours Mao 😉

The lib dems are going to do oK where they have MP’s but they are stuffed everywhere else as no floating voter will vote for them as it is a roll of the dice in terms of
1. Which party they will prop up in a coalition
2. Which of their policies they will actually stick to

JY – what the result actually shows, refreshingly, is that Farage hasn’t picked up any labour voters. The UKIP/Tory vote this time round is exactly the same percentage of voters as it was last time. Except last time it was all tory votes. This time its mostly UKIP.

Actually slightly OT- I saw a BNP campaign vehicle in Sale last Friday- never seen one before and I had an urge (completely out of the blue) to get out of my car and give their van a good belt/shout at them. Luckily the lights went green and I was at the front. Nasty ****.

yes SALE Manchester. Didn’t know that they were disaffected there? Anyway- could I have been in big trouble?!!